


Blueberry Tarts

by TheCourtSorcerer



Series: Merthur Drabbles & One Shots [17]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Allergies, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Arthur Grieves Berry Tart, Arthur Knows About Merlin's Magic (Merlin), Blueberries, Canon Era, Caring Merlin (Merlin), I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Life-threatening allergies, Like he still sucks but he's not a total asshole here, M/M, Merlin Saves Arthur From A Berry Tart, Merlin knows Arthur's health better than Arthur, Not-Totally-A-Dick Uther, Oblivious Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Protective Merlin (Merlin), Unbeta'd, Warning: Brief explanation of an allergic reaction, allergic reactions, severe allergies, sudden confessions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-18
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-13 20:28:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29531991
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheCourtSorcerer/pseuds/TheCourtSorcerer
Summary: “Saved my life?What on earth are you talking about? Father, all he’s done is cost us half our feasts dessert!” The Prince exclaimed and he was not pouting. He was absolutely not, no matter what Merlin said later! Speaking of Merlin… Arthur turned to glare accusingly at his manservant.Merlin gave Uther a strange, almost startled look before looking back to Arthur. “You don’t… You don’t know?”“Know what?!”
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Series: Merthur Drabbles & One Shots [17]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2052750
Comments: 22
Kudos: 278
Collections: Numerous OTPS Infinite Fandoms





	Blueberry Tarts

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little short thing I was inspired to write while I was eating blueberries. Currently 1 AM as I post this. Unbeta'd as usual. Just some self-indulgent Protective Merlin and Oblivious Arthur (though, this time it's not his fault he's oblivious).
> 
> I've been way more stressed and overwhelmed than usual so this was nice to get to write. I need to continue my other fics that need to be finished this month... 
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

_“Arthur, don’t eat that!”_

The entire went quiet at the sudden outburst from the panicked looking manservant now at Arthur’s side. Arthur froze, his bite of food centimetres from his mouth, and looked to Merlin with a glare that poorly concealed his confused worry.

Lucky for him, the Prince needn’t voice his lack of understanding, for the King rose in a rush, glaring much more heatedly at Merlin than Arthur was.

“Who do you think you are speaking to?!” Uther exclaimed in a quickly-lit fury, “A mere servant has no place to tell their Prince what he may or may not eat!”

Merlin, surprising the silent and watching Hall, just shook his head quickly, not letting his eyes leave Arthur, who had lowered the bite back down to his plate for the time being.

“My Lord—ah, your Majesty,” Merlin quickly stuttered out, visibly relaxing just barely as he watched Arthur lower the food, “I do apologize, but I cannot let Prince Arthur to take one bite of that tart!”

Uther’s rage did not lessen with the servant’s words, instead it grew. Arthur opened his mouth to comment, frowning, but Uther cut him off. “You should mind your place, servant! I have half a mind to send you to the dungeons for your insolence!” He snapped.

Merlin bounced anxiously on his feet, his eyes flicking from the tart to Arthur, then finally to Uther before he announced, as if it were the most obvious thing in the Kingdom, “It has blueberries in it! I saw one of the new cooks adding blueberry to some of the berry tarts during preparations for the feast! I didn’t realize it would be one that the Prince would be eating at the time, but it is!”

Arthur’s confusion only grew at his manservant’s explanation, but the King’s anger seemed to dissipate a little as barely recognizable shock took its place. The servant and King stood staring at one another in silence for a moment, the entire Hall watching in anticipation, before Uther suddenly called over another servant.

“You!” He called, and the young girl rushed over, “clear the table of every pastry with fruit in it. _Now!_ ”

The servant girl squeaked softly and nodded, quickly gathering all the fruit dishes, starting with Arthur’s plate. The Prince let out a strangled noise of protest, watching her take it away with a faint sadness in his eyes. That had smelled so good…

“I owe you my gratitude, ah…Marlin—Merlin,” Uther corrected himself last minute, shocking Merlin, Arthur (who was still half-grieving his berry tart) and apparently himself as well. “You’ve once again saved my son’s life.”

Before Merlin could say anything in response, Arthur shook his head, looking between the two.

“ _Saved my life_? What on earth are you talking about? Father, all he’s done is cost us half our feasts dessert!” The Prince exclaimed and he was not pouting. He was absolutely not, no matter what Merlin said later! Speaking of Merlin… Arthur turned to glare accusingly at his manservant.

Merlin gave Uther a strange, almost startled look before looking back to Arthur. “You don’t… You don’t know?”

“Know what?!” Arthur threw up his hands, uncaring of the mass of people watching them like a to-the-deaths tourney.

“You are _deathly_ allergic to blueberries, Sire,” Merlin spoke softly, as if trying not to spook a wild horse. His words made no sense, though! Arthur couldn’t be so allergic to blueberries! He would know if he was! Right…?

Arthur huffed, leaning back in his seat in disbelief. He waited a moment for his father to tell Merlin he was wrong, but… The man didn’t speak. He just… Averted his gaze.

“No.” Arthur said decisively, barely holding back a startled laugh, “No, I’m not. Merlin, I would know if I was. I am not allergic to anything.”

As they spoke with lowered voices now, most of the Hall went back to minding their own business, leaving them to discuss in not-private.

Merlin shot another glance to the King, who was still looking away, before looking back to Arthur. He hesitated before speaking.

“When you were ten summers… You sneaked a handful of blueberries from the kitchens when you thought the Cook wasn’t looking. You ate them all, and within minutes you were being rushed to Gaius by a guard who found you in your room,” Merlin explained “When Gaius got you, your face was all splotchy and really red, you could hardly breathe, and your heart-rate was dangerously high. Your airways were closing and you were suffocating. You were lucky he knew how to treat you, because he’d treated it before. It was a life-threatening reaction to the blueberries.”

Arthur stared at Merlin in shock for a few moments. It was Uther who broke the silence, though, to the surprise of both younger men.

“How do you know all this, boy? You were not in Camelot when this occurred.”

“Oh,” Merlin flushed faintly, making Arthur raise a questioning eyebrow. “I hope it is not wrong of me—I requested Gaius inform me of Prince Arthur’s medical history a month after becoming his manservant, so I could always be sure he maintained best health, as Physician’s Apprentice and the Prince’s Personal Manservant. As well as so I never provide him with a food he cannot eat, by mistake. Gaius told me the story when I asked him how he knew the severity of the blueberry allergy.”

“I see…” Uther nodded slowly, “…Well done.”

“Thank you, your Majesty.”

Uther returned to his meal wordlessly, leaving Arthur to stare slack-jawed at his servant.

All this time he told Merlin what an awful servant he was, how he never could do anything right, and all these awful things… Yet, so soon after meeting he committed himself to learning every aspect of Arthur’s medical needs, allergies, and the like, including ones Arthur wasn’t even aware of. (He couldn’t help but wonder why his father had never told him…) He doesn’t think he’d had a manservant ever go to such lengths just to keep him healthy and safe. His heart stuttered at the thought. Merlin really has been protecting him all this time, in his own sweet way (well, aside from the magic, but Merlin doesn’t need to know Arthur knows yet).

Quietly, Arthur dismissed himself from the table, receiving only a nod in response from his father, before leading Merlin out of the Hall and down the corridor. He didn’t say anything until he got to his chambers, ignoring Merlin’s confused questions about what was going on and is everything alright. He shoved Merlin into his chambers as soon as he got there, then without giving him anytime to speak, pinned him against the nearest wall and crashed their lips together in a borderline desperate kiss.

Merlin let out a yelp of surprise, his eyes wide, before slowly melting into the kiss, wrapping his arms tightly around Arthur’s neck. They didn’t break from one another until they were breathless.

Gasping for air, Merlin looked at Arthur with searching eyes.

“Not that I didn’t very much enjoy that—but, _why_?” He asked, his voice a little rough and his face reasonably red. It was a good look on him, Arthur decided. The Prince just shook his head.

“I love you so much,” he huffed before kissing the Warlock deeply once more. This time, Merlin responded much quicker. Hands wandered, and gasps filled the air, until finally they broke apart once again. Arthur grinned at Merlin, who grinned stupidly back.

“ _Gods_ , yes, I love you too,” Merlin sighed, resting their foreheads together, “who would have known all it took for you to finally make a move was finding out you’re allergic to blueberries?”

Arthur couldn’t help the laugh that forced its way passed his lips at his words, and soon enough they were both slumped on the floor, laughing at the strange progression of the night.

Who would’ve known, indeed?

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Hope you enjoyed this!! 
> 
> Don't be like me!! Get some rest!


End file.
